Grab, Foodpanda resume delivery, food services amid Luzon quarantine

Grab Philippines and Foodpanda announced on Tuesday the resumption of their package and food delivery services after they suspended all their operations following the enhanced community quarantine placed in the entire Luzon to arrest the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Upon careful assessment of the situation on ground and after discussing with our regulators, we have resumed GrabFood and GrabExpress operations as of 1:30 p.m. today, March 17, with skeletal delivery-fleet,” Grab said in an advisory.

This came after Grab Philippines president Brian Cu announced services — GrabCar, GrabTrike, GrabFood, GrabExpress, among others — have been temporarily suspended starting 12:00 midnight on March 17.

“The decision was made to support the food establishments that will continue to operate and maintain continuous flow of goods to serve the essential needs of Filipinos during these trying times,” Grab said.

“Delivery-partners are advised to prioritize safety at all costs. We will continue to exercise strict safety measures such as contactless delivery, temperature checks, increased cleaning frequency of delivery bags, and more in cooperation with our merchant-partners,” it added.

Online payment

Meanwhile, Foodpanda, in a message to its customers, said it was also allowed to continue operating, "as clarified by the leadership of the Department of Trade and Industry," despite the enhanced community quarantine.

Foodpanda added that it will continue to operate as usual with free delivery on every order.

The company said it values the safety of everyone and has introduced new measures to ensure its customer's feel secure while using its service.

"We're in constant communication with our restaurant partners over the latest World Health Organization notices, advising them on the health and safety practices that go beyond our already high food hygiene expectations," it added.

Foodpanda also encouraged its customers to switch to online payment "so we can easily keep unnecessary human interactions to a minimum."

The entire Luzon was placed under enhanced community quarantine at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17, as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night.

Under this condition, strict home quarantine will be implemented in all households, transportation will be suspended, provision for food and essential health services will be regulated and the presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures will be heightened.—AOL/MDM, GMA News